Partnerships Specialist (Public Partnership), P3, Sudan # 118420, Nairobi, Kenya duty station is subject to PBR approval) (for non-Sudanese only)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfil their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a partnership

Sudan is facing a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions. The conflict in Sudan is severely putting at risk the health and well-being of Sudan’s 24 million children, therewith the future of the country and heavily affecting the wider region. 14 million children in Sudan require urgent humanitarian assistance. Millions of those children face multiple risks of grave violations – killing & maiming, child recruitment, violence, rape, and more.

UNICEF is staying and delivering for the children of Sudan, through a three-pronged humanitarian,

development, and peace nexus strategy: (a) provide and maintain critical and lifesaving services in hotspot areas, (b) provide urgent assistance to newly displaced and host communities in non-hotspot areas, (c) preserve resilience through ensuring basic service delivery across states.

UNICEF requires USD 840 million in 2024 to reach 10 million of the most vulnerable children and families with child protection, education, health, nutrition, WASH and cash-plus interventions. Out of the total appeal, USD 200 million is required to deliver for the Darfur region and USD 50 million for providing life-saving supplies across Sudan.

Now, more than ever, flexible resources are crucial to allow a timely and efficient humanitarian, development and peace nexus response to preserve life, dignity, resilience and hope for the future of Sudan’s children and those who care for them.

UNICEF is calling on all its partners to redouble efforts and stand in solidarity with the children of Sudan, protect their rights, and their future.

How can you make a difference?

The Public Partnership Specialist position’s purpose is to deepen and expand collaboration with key public partners and provide an interface for environmental scanning, knowledge exchange, resource mobilization, and policy influence within the scope of the assignment.  S/He may also serve as the focal point and resource for colleagues on specific public partnership portfolios, or thematic areas of strategic relevance for partnership development. The key result is to ensure greater visibility for UNICEF and influence in support of its mission.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. Implement the work plan for the assigned area, in order to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of results, in accordance with UNICEF’s Sudan partnership and resource mobilization strategy.
2. Provides oversight and coordination support in meeting donor requirements (e.g. reporting and visibility) of SCO’s existing public partnership portfolio.
3. Seeks and promotes new public partnerships and resource mobilization, working with UNICEF colleagues to identify partnership and resource mobilization needs and broker resource mobilization agreements to meet those needs.
4. Receives and screens inquiries from potential collaborators and facilitates communication with appropriate UNICEF staff. Scans and scouts the external environment within designated partnership areas for opportunities and risks and share information in a timely fashion with relevant UNICEF staff.
5. Provides strategic, logistical and programmatic support to senior management and other UNICEF staff in corporate engagement and interaction with assigned partners.
6. Develops and maintains deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective public partners and relevant stakeholders, contributing to a database of key contacts and to UNICEF’s base of knowledge on partnership and resource mobilization.
7. Supports development and implements annual public partnership engagement and resource mobilization plans.
8. Acts as a focal point for identification and pursuit of opportunities for outreach, engagement, policy influence and collaboration, including on how to anticipate and respond to public partners’ concerns and priorities, ensure that UNICEF’s interests, perspectives, and knowledge are taken into account in relevant policy and institutional processes, and ensure that they are fully aware of UNICEF’s perspectives, policies, priorities and capabilities. Contribute to the development and management of initiatives for high-level outreach, including for UNICEF’s Senior Management.
9. Contributes to the development of new public partnership and resource mobilization practices and approaches by formulating recommendations for action based on ongoing monitoring, analyzing current trends within designated partners and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development.
10. Contributes to strategies for engagement and the development of communications products to enhance UNICEF’s visibility and influence with existing and prospective partners and key stakeholders by providing analysis of the current environment and trends and formulating recommendations for strategy approaches and message development. Works closely with UNICEF’s colleagues to ensure that policy advocacy and outreach is strongly grounded in the experience and insights of the programmes that UNICEF supports. Contributes written inputs for communications instruments that best inform and influence decision-makers.
11. Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisor to ensure the success of the team, including organization of donor field visits, guiding, training, and coaching short-term staff, including interns and consultants, as needed.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in one of the following fields: international relations, political science, communications, international development, or another relevant technical field.
  *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in experience in one or more of the following areas is required: public affairs, programme management, resource mobilization, external relations, or other relevant area. Previous experience and/or deep understanding of the UNICEF Sudan donor landscape and programming environment is an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, Leads and Manages People .

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable females from industrial countries are encouraged to apply.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.